Page 76

“It is when it’s impacting my store.”

“I’m so sorry it’s such an inconvenience for you,” she muttered.

“It’s not an inconvenience,” I replied. “I want to know why you’re running yourself into the ground.”

“I- I’m not,” she stammered. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“Jesus,fine, okay.” She exhaled, her voice drained of all fight. “I took the job because I need the money.”

I stared at her, thoughts churning. Despite my gut instinct begging me to leave it alone, I had to know why she hadn’t come to me.

“Why wouldn’t you just-,” I frowned. “Askfor a raise? Or just ask for help?”

“I’m helping a friend out,” she said, avoiding the question. “She’s getting married soon and doesn’t have much time to run her store and still plan an entire wedding.”

“How magnanimous of you,” I said. She shot me a glare. “But that doesn’t tell me why you didn’t just ask me for help instead.”

Frankie wound her arms around herself, her gaze fixed on a spot just above my shoulder.

“Because I don’t want you to think I’m using you for money,” she admitted, and her words shook me to my core. I stared at her blankly. “I’m not interested in being indebted to you either.”

“What?”

“I don’t have the kind of money you have,” she explained, her cheeks bright red. “And I know what people will do to get it. We barely know each other, and it’s a family matter anyway-”

“A family matter?” I cut in, my mind whirling, trying to piece together the tiny shreds of information she offered. “Did something happen?”

Frankie groaned and sat on the small sofa. “My mom is in the hospital,” she finally confessed, and my heart sank. “And she won’t be discharged any time soon. I can’t bear the thought of my dad working right now, so I told June I’d help her out for extra cash.”

“Frankie,” I began, but she interrupted me.

“Don’t,” she said, her voice turning watery. “Don’t do that. I don’t want pity.”

“I don’t pity you,” I said softly. “I just- can we talk about this?”

“Why?”

“Because you seem like you need an ear to listen,” I said.

She stared at me, a thousand emotions flitting across her face before a soft giggle slipped through her lips. “Fine.” She sighed. “I guess you’re right. At least I don’t have to worry about you getting all coddly with me.”

I frowned but she continued, “I guess I can tell you why I’m so difficult to deal with, especially when it comes to my parents’ store.”

“I can figure that one out quite easily,” I murmured.

“Then you understand why I feel responsible for the store,” she said. I nodded. “My parents dropped their lives to open this store, to make sure I was taken care of. That other people like me would always be taken care of. They made sure I had time to do the things I loved, like playing guitar, and Ioweit to them to take care of this place. Of them.”

“You play guitar?”

Frankie nodded. “Whenever I have time,” she said. “At the music store, if it’s quiet enough. But I can give it up if it means that my parents are happy.”

Something ached in my chest, twisting like the tip of a dagger, but I didn’t say a word.

It wasn’t my place. I’d made sure that it would never be my place.

“You know,” I said instead. “You’re doing a great job of protecting the store. Not that I want to steal it away, but you’re a serious hellcat when it comes to making sure nothing changes.”